These are the key questions we often ask when thinking about any situation, and it’s no difference when it comes to praising God!
Who should praise God?
Ps 148 in particular talks of all creation praising God (Ps 148:3-4, 7-10). Hallelujahs are ‘spoken’ by the wind and water, by widow and orphan, by ravens and angels, lute and harp, sea monsters and saints. People are obviously included in those who should praise God (Ps 149:2), but angels also praise Him (Ps 148:2) and in case we feel anyone is excluded, Ps 150:6 says ‘let everything that has breath praise the Lord’!
When should we praise God?
Ps 146:2 reminds us that we should sing God’s praises ‘as long as I live’ (see also Ps 63:4) and Paul takes up this theme to the Thessalonians when he writes, ‘rejoice always. Give thanks in all circumstances.’ (1 Thess 5:16-17) He tells the Philippians to ‘rejoice in the Lord always’ (Phil 4:4) and Heb 13:15 urges us to continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise. Praising God should be an ongoing feature of our lives.
Where should we praise God?
Praise can be private (done at home – ‘on my bed I remember you’ Ps 63:4) or public (when we join with others in official gatherings – Ps 22:25). It can come ‘from the earth’ (Ps 148:7) or ‘from the heavens’ (Ps 148:1). There is really no limit to where we can praise God!
Why should we praise God?
There are definitely more than 10,000 reasons why we should praise God, but the book of Psalms essentially focuses on reasons connected to God’s character (who He is) and His actions (what He does.) Ps 146:6 focuses on God as the Maker of all things and the faithful one, with this psalm going on to consider His help for the orphans, widows, foreigners and prisoners. There is also an evangelistic aim to praising God: by speaking of the glory of God’s kingdom and of His might, other people come to know of His great acts. (Ps 145:11-12)
How should we praise God?
These last 5 psalms give us many ways of praising God, mentioning singing (Ps 146:2, Ps 147:1, Ps 149:1), dancing (Ps 149:3) and through musical instruments (Ps 147:7, Ps 149:3, Ps 150:3-5). Other psalms talk of shouting praise to God (see Ps 33:3, Ps 47:1) and clapping (Ps 47:1). We can praise God in many different ways and forms, but the overall impression is that praise can be noisy, exuberant and vibrant. Perhaps in our more reserved British culture, we need to understand that praise should be whole-hearted (Deut 6:5) and involves our whole being. God is worth praising – it’s worth getting excited!
